Newspaper publishers require newsagents with direct accounts to place newspaper toward the front of the store, in a high traffic (high value) location. This is how it has been for decades. Included in their demand is that the full front page of the newspaper is on display.
The front page of The Age newspaper today gives newsagents another reason to ignore the demands of publishers. Covering the lead news item of the day with a half page ad demonstrates that showing the front page of the newspaper is not that important. Unless of course people will buy the newspaper to read the Deakin University ad. I think not.
I guess that news is not regarded as not all that important in selling newspapers by the folks at Fairfax.
It’s a fundamental rule of business – don’t p off your most loyal customers. I see the way people sigh when they pick up a cheap and nasty looking Age. Some try to rip the ad off spontaneously, before realising it’s attached to the back page. It’s sad to see a previously proud masthead prostitute itself in this way.
did you know that HWT did the same thing last Saturday with at least our southern area distribution run.
They placed post it notes on all of our copies delivered.
Marvelous how technology follws one pubisher to another.